Victim of Prophecy
by hermionegarner
Summary: "You are to have a son..." Those words, spoken to the Dark Lord in a prophecy, change one young witch's life forever. Meanwhile, the trio searches for the lost horcruxes in one final effort to rid the world of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. *NOTE* Previously completed, now being edited and updated once again to improve my writing :)
1. The Prophecy

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter universe. Those belong to the amazing, wonderful J.K. Rowling. I do, however, own nine wands, so that's good enough, right?

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><p><strong>Chapter One: The Prophecy<strong>

Somewhere in the invisible distance, water dropped steadily. The air smelled damp. A witch staggered through the cold, stone halls, shaking more out of fear than the rain she had just traveled through. She was blindfolded, supported by her captors. Her toe caught an uneven stone and she cried out. Immediately, she felt the sting of a man's hand against her cheek, and stumbled.

"Silence," he growled.

A whimper escaped her lips as she shakily stood, only to be pushed forward once again. Their footsteps echoed eerily along the walls. Eventually, a man's voice joined the echo, a voice so horrible it sent chills up and down her spine.

"_What did you say?_"

"They've moved him, My Lord. He's no longer staying with the muggles."

"_Then where is he?_" There was a slight pause. _"WHERE IS HE?"_

"I don't know, My Lord, we—"

"_AVADA KADAVRA!"_

The witch gasped and stopped short. In the silence, she heard the body tumble to the ground. Her captors roughly forced her to continue, and her heart sank more with each step.

"Severus," the voice said, "you assured me he would not be moved until his seventeenth birthday. You _assured _me!"

"I was misinformed, My Lord. I'm afraid the Order no longer trusts me."

"Then find someone they _do _trust and get the information from him!" the voice spat. "Find Potter, or this mistake will not be overlooked!"

They were close to the voice now—too close. Without warning, the witch was thrust to the ground. With her hands bound behind her, her nose caught her fall. It broke instantly, but the pain was nothing close to the terror she was feeling at this moment.

All the voices in the room stopped. For a number of minutes, the only sound heard was her heavy breathing. She tried to calm it, but was unsuccessful.

"What is it?" the voice hissed.

"She was with the group hiding in the woods, My Lord—"

"I thought my instructions were clear, Malfoy. What did I say?"

Her captor—the one that had slapped her—hesitated. "You said no survivors."

"So _why _do I see a survivor before me?"

"Because, My Lord—she's clairvoyant. We caught her in the middle of a prophecy, and she said your name."

The witch felt his gaze on the back of her neck. Her blindfold was ripped off. The room was very dark, lit with only a few floating candles from what she could see. She continued to stare at the ground, doing all she could to avoid meeting his gaze.

An unseen power forced her face upward. Fear jolted through her entire body as she met his blood-red eyes. She tried to shrink away, but was paralyzed in horror. The reptilian attributes of his face made it hard to believe he had ever been human. Slowly, he leaned forward on his throne, his eyes narrowing even more than they already were.

"Let's hear the prophecy, then."

Mustering all of her courage, she shook her head.

"_Crucio!_"

The witch screeched in pain, writhing on the ground, ears ringing. After what felt like an eternity, the curse was lifted. Her sobs filled the silent chamber. The Dark Lord stepped down from his throne and grabbed her face with his hands, bringing his nose just inches away from hers.

"Now let's try that again."

She hesitated, trying to remain strong. In an instant, she was screaming again, every bone in her body in searing pain. When the curse finally ended, she gasped in air through her sobs.

It was no use.

"You are to have a son," she choked out.

He raised one eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."

"He will be a wizard second in power only to yourself. You will raise him to be your successor, to instill fear in the hearts of men."

Voldemort was listening closely now. "How am I to have this son?"

"You will seduce a virtuous young witch," she said, detesting each syllable that came out of her mouth.

"And who is this witch?"

The witch hesitated, racking her brain for a way to conceal this part of the prophecy from him. "She—will be close to your enemy. A witch with great power over all realms of magic."

He grabbed her hair and forced her head up. She stifled a cry.

"_Her name._"

She grit her teeth and held her mouth shut. Muttering under his breath, the Dark Lord threw her to the ground. The witch curled into a ball as he pointed his wand at her, bracing herself for death.

"_Legilimens_."

Terror overcame her as she felt a foreign presence in her mind. The presence snaked through her thoughts and memories, the good and the bad, searching for information on the prophecy. She did all she could to hide it, but there was no point. The snake in her mind latched onto the memory of the prophecy and began rifling through, uncovering all the details she'd tried to conceal from him.

"If I'm not present at the boy's birth, he'll become a force for good." The Dark Lord's voice was _inside _her mind now. She shivered. "Practically unstoppable. When did you plan on telling me that?"

He delved deeper into the memory. With her last ounce of strength, she wrapped her mind around the young woman's identity, doing all she could to hide it from him. Like glass, her attempted shield was shattered, and the name was forced to the forefront of her mind. She glanced up and saw a crooked smile appear on the Dark Lord's face. Her heart sank.

"Thank you," he cackled as he released her mind from his grasp. "You have been most helpful."

He pointed his wand at her once again. This was it—this was the end. As his lips began to form the forbidden curse, adrenaline surged through her, and she stood.

"LONG LIVE POTTER!" she screamed, and welcomed the flash of green light that lit up the world around her.

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><p><strong>AN: **For those of you who've read this before, bear with me as I go through and edit it. Some things will be changed, the story as a whole will be a lot longer, and I hope you'll enjoy it as well a second time around.

For those of you who have not read this story before, I hope you are intrigued! Please review! :)


	2. Dreams

**Disclaimer: **These characters all belong to J.K. Rowling and her wonderful Harry Potter universe. But that didn't keep me from sewing Hermione's Yule Ball dress for Easter one year...

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Dreams<strong>

Harry sat up straight, covered in sweat. His comforter was lying on the ground, as were most of his sheets. His hand flew to his burning forehead, and he grit his teeth to the mind-numbing pain.

"Harry! Harry, you all right?"

Groggily, he reached for his glasses and put them on. Hermione leaned over him, feeling his forehead.

"You're burning up," she muttered. She turned away and started rummaging through her bag.

"What are you doing up, Herm? It's the middle of the night. And what are you doing in my room?"

"Seeing as it's my house, it's more my room." She sent him a small smile as she turned back around.

He rolled his eyes. "All right, but why are you in here? You should be sleeping."

"Couldn't. Nightmares."

Whatever Harry'd thought to say went out the window as Hermione pressed a damp rag to his forehead, and he jumped back.

"Hold still, will you?"

"Merlin, Hermione, what's on that?"

"Stop being such a baby."

Harry pushed her hand away and sat up a little straighter in bed. "Hermione, you know what this is, and nothing in that bag of yours is going to fix it."

Relenting, Hermione set the rag on the bedside table. "And here I am complaining about nightmares."

Harry forced a small smile. "I'm fine, really. I'm used to it."

Hermione frowned, her I-don't-believe-you-for-a-second frown, but didn't press the point. "What was it this time?"

"Something about a prophecy." Harry furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn't remember much of this one. It was something important, that was sure, but he'd only caught glimpses.

"The prophecy about you?"

"No, this was a new one. One just about him, I think. Anyway, it didn't have anything to do with me."

Hermione bit her lip like she always did when she thought. "That doesn't sound good. Is it at the ministry? Ron and I could—"

"No," Harry said quickly.

"But Harry, it's not safe for you yet, and we want to help—"

"_No_. Absolutely not. Besides, it's not at the ministry, and I don't think it ever will be. Voldemort killed the witch that had it."

The young witch sighed. "Great. Another mystery for us to unravel."

Harry took her hand and squeezed it. "We can do it. Aren't you the one always saying that?"

"Yes. But it seems like every day something gets added to the pile of things we have to overcome."

"You got me out of Privet Drive without incident. Isn't that an accomplishment?"

She chuckled slightly. "If you say so."

"And you're sure we're safe here?"

"The Death Eaters would never think to look in a muggle neighborhood to find you. Mum and Dad don't suspect a thing, so no reason to worry about them. And all our neighbors are elderly—even if they wanted to talk about me having visitors, they wouldn't have anyone to talk to. On top of it, the Order's put up plenty of protection spells."

Harry smirked. "Very thorough, Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Hermione laughed half-heartedly. The two of them fell into silence. After a moment, she sighed.

"I can't believe we're not going back this year."

Harry looked out the window. He couldn't believe it either, but it wouldn't be the Hogwarts they'd always known, anyway. Not without Dumbledore.

It was time to change the subject.

"So, _why _are you in here, Hermione?" Harry raised one eyebrow.

"No reason."

"You were just watching me while I slept? That's a tad creepy."

Hermione's lips quivered into a small smile. "It would be, wouldn't it?"

"So what's the reason?"

She shifted her position. "I was on my way to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and I heard you talking in your sleep. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"What was I saying?"

"I'm not sure. I think you were speaking parseltongue."

She winced a bit. Harry frowned and leaned closer to her.

"Hermione, what's your nightmare about?"

"Oh, nothing. It's not important anyway."

"You've been having the same one for weeks now." Harry squeezed her hand again. "Tell me."

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "There's—a snake. It wraps itself around me, so tight I can't breathe. And when it speaks, it—I understand it."

"It speaks English?"

"No, but I know what it's saying."

"And what is it saying?"

Hermione stood and pulled her hand out of Harry's grasp. "I think you should get back to sleep."

"Hermione—"

"You need your rest." She sent him a shaky smile. "Especially with Ron and Gin coming tomorrow."

Harry groaned and lay back down. "I really wish you hadn't invited her."

"I didn't. She invited herself."

Harry groaned again. Hermione laughed as she left the room. There was no way to stop that girl from doing whatever she wanted. She just hoped that when she, Harry, and Ron left to look for horcruxes, they would somehow be able to leave her behind.

Ron. The smile on her face subsided as she grabbed a glass of water. She couldn't wait to see him, but the thought of it made her want to vomit. For the first time in what seemed like forever, they were both unattached—she broke things off for good with Viktor over a year ago, and Lavender was no longer in the picture.

But she knew that if she didn't act now, she would miss her chance.

_Don't think about it_, she thought, furious with herself. _You can't even do anything until he gets here, so what's the point in torturing yourself?_

Restless, she climbed back into bed and closed her eyes. Soon, she was back in that same, dark room. Hissing came from somewhere in the darkness. Hermione spun this way and that, searching for the source of the noise. She reached for her wand, but it wasn't there. Without warning, something pulled her legs out from under her, and she landed flat on her back. The snake slithered toward her.

"No!" she stammered. "Get away from me! Please—"

No matter what she did, she couldn't keep the snake from wrapping itself around her, constricting her. She struggled until she couldn't breathe. The snake's tongue flicked her ear, and she shook as it spoke.

"You will win this war for me, Hermione Granger. Because of you, all your friends, everyone you care about, will die."

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><p><strong>AN: **I really appreciate feedback! Please review! :)


	3. Old Friends

**Disclaimer: **There actually is a character in this chapter who belongs to me, though the universe in which she exists does not, so the distinction seems arbitrary...

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Old Friends<strong>

Hermione ran to the door and threw it open. She smiled wide and wrapped her arms around the ginger's neck. He laughed, picked her up, and spun her around once. Butterflies filled her stomach.

"Welcome," she said, the same stupid smile on her face.

Ron smirked, the smirk that made her melt. "Good to see you again, 'Mione. You look…very nice."

"Very nice? She's beautiful as a veela." Ginny grinned ear to ear as she pushed past her brother and embraced her best friend. "Now, where's the handsome man you have trapped inside?"

"In the kitchen." Hermione chuckled as Ginny ran inside. She heard Harry's cereal bowl fall to the ground and his chair scoot back. She laughed again and shook her head.

"That's why I gave him a plastic bowl this morning," she said to Ron with a wink.

She stepped back to let her friend enter. Ron sent her a warm smile and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he stepped inside. The butterflies in her stomach swarmed. She closed the door, and the two of them walked into the kitchen.

Ginny was sitting on Harry's lap, preventing him from cleaning up the mess she'd made. Hermione rolled her eyes, and with a wave of her wand the puddle of milk and Wheaties disappeared into the sink. She stepped out of Ron's hold and picked up the bowl and spoon.

"I'll get you another bowl. Gin, try not to knock it over this time."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at Hermione before kissing Harry again. Hermione noticed Ron wrinkle his nose and suppressed a laugh.

Two pairs of footsteps headed down the stairs. Ginny climbed off of Harry's lap as Hermione's parents entered the room.

"And what's all this commotion?" her mother said with a smile. "Hermione finally invites the three of you over, and you wake us up at the crack of dawn?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger." Ron stepped toward them and extended his hand. "I'm Ron Weasley, and that's my sister, Ginny."

"Yes, I remember you from that shopping trip a few years ago," Mr. Granger said as he shook Ron's hand. "Your father was the one who kept asking us about rubber ducks and microwaves."

Ron laughed. "Yes, that would be him."

"You've certainly grown, though." Mrs. Granger's smile seemed permanently etched onto her face. "I believe you were only twelve when we saw you last."

"That sounds right."

"Mum, Dad, can I make you anything for breakfast?" Hermione asked as she set Harry's new bowl in front of him.

"Oh, we'll manage ourselves," her mother said.

"Ron, Gin?"

"We ate before we came," Ginny said.

"Yeah, like four breakfasts. Mum wouldn't let us leave the house until she was certain we were full."

Hermione laughed and started cooking herself some eggs. The morning was carefree—Hermione's parents knew nothing of the raging war, so Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny pretended they didn't either. It was liberating for all of them to put their worries on the backburner, but that didn't change the fact that they were there. Still, they found what enjoyment they could in their false ignorance.

Just as Hermione's parents stood from the table to get ready for work, the doorbell rang. Mr. Granger raised his eyebrows.

"Hermione, you expecting anyone else?"

"No."

As Mr. Granger went to the door, Mrs. Granger headed upstairs to change. Ginny was almost immediately on Harry's lap again. Ron slid into the seat next to Hermione and rested his arm on the back of her chair. She pretended not to notice.

"It's really, really good to see you again," he said with his signature smirk.

Hermione hid a smile. "You said that already."

Ron's smirk widened. "That I did."

She laughed and stared at her plate, playing with her food. Ron took a deep breath before speaking again.

"And Gin's right, you know. You are beautiful."

Hermione's heart stopped as he reached over and took her hand. Slowly, she set down her fork and turned to face Ron completely, keeping a hold of his hand.

"You're not too bad yourself," she said quietly.

Ron's face grew serious and he scooted even closer to her. "Hermione, I've been thinking a lot lately."

"About?"

"About our future. Together."

Something caught in Hermione's throat. "Together?"

"Hermione, you'll never guess who's here!" her father's voice called around the corner. Ron practically jumped away from her just before Mr. Granger entered the room, followed by a young woman, about seventeen, with long, curly blonde hair. Hermione gasped and her face lit up. The blonde girl beamed ear to ear.

"Hey there, Books."

"Genvi!"

Hermione sprang from her chair. The two girls embraced, laughing. Harry, Ron, and Ginny exchanged curious looks. Mr. Granger promptly left the room as the girls squealed.

"I can't believe you're here!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I can't believe _you're _here!"

"When did you move back from the States?"

"A couple months ago. I didn't say anything in my letter because I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, congratulations!" Hermione let out a joyful laugh, and Genvi joined her. The two girls embraced again.

Ginny stood and cleared her throat.

"Oh!" Hermione released Genvi and faced her friend, her smile wider than any of them had seen it in a long time. "Genvi, this is Harry, Ron, and Ginny. I've told you about them before."

Genvi smirked. "Oh yes."

"Guys, this is Genvieve Allen, my oldest friend." Hermione beamed.

Ron frowned. "I thought we were your oldest friends."

Hermione punched him in the arm. Genvi laughed.

"Hermione and I have known each other since Primary School." Genvi sat down next to Ron. "For a long time, she was the only friend I had."

"Not even _close _to true," Hermione interrupted as she grabbed a glass of water for her friend. "Genvi was always the most popular girl in our year."

Genvi rolled her eyes. "Being popular doesn't mean you have friends."

"_I _was always the one sitting in the corner of the library alone." Hermione sat on the other side of Genvi and handed her the glass of water. "That's why everyone called me 'Books'."

"So, what you're saying is, you haven't changed at all?" Ron interjected. Hermione and Genvi exchanged a look before Genvi turned and punched him in the arm.

"Ow! I didn't mean that as an insult!"

The girls laughed. Harry and Ginny both smirked.

"Oh, Hogwarts has changed Books quite a bit," Genvi said with a smile.

"Wait," Harry frowned, "you told her about Hogwarts?"

Hermione shrugged. "She was there when I got my letter. Besides, I knew she'd never tell."

Harry's frown deepened. "How much does she know?"

"Enough to ask if I can see your scar." Genvi leaned across the table, a sly smile on her face.

Harry ignored her and turned to face Hermione. "How much, Herm?"

"A lot, but not everything. Hardly anything about the last year and a half. She's been in California with her parents. The only way we could really communicate was through mail, and I'm very careful with what I put in my letters."

When Harry didn't look convinced, Genvi rolled her eyes. "Come on, Potter, lighten up. You guys are the only magical people I know—or, at least the only ones I'm aware of. Even if I wanted to, who would I tell? The press? They'd lock me up the minute I started talking about Death Eaters and the Order."

"You told her about the Order?" Harry stood, staring at Hermione with wide eyes.

Hermione rolled her eyes in a way almost identical to Genvi's. "Show her your scar, Harry."

"Hermione—!"

"Do you really doubt my judgment on this? Genvi's entirely harmless!"

"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about what she might accidentally say to people!"

"Genvi keeps secrets better than Dumbledore," Hermione said with a scoff. "Now will you please sit down and show her your bloody scar?"

Harry sat, still frowning. He briefly pushed his bangs off of his forehead before leaning back in his chair. Genvi's smile faltered and she leaned back some as well.

"I promise, I'm not a threat to you," she said quietly. "Truly. In fact, I'd love to help, if there's any way—"

"I already told you that was out of the question, Genvi," Hermione said before anyone else could respond. "It's too dangerous for you."

Genvi sighed. "Doesn't change the fact that I want to help."

"I'm sorry, Genvieve," Harry said after a moment. "I just really don't want anyone to get hurt. It's nothing against you."

"Oh, I understand." A small smile returned to Genvi's face. "And I don't expect you to trust me completely right away. But while we're all here, we might as well get to know each other, right?"

"Fair enough."

As they cleaned up what remained of breakfast, Genvi asked all of them endless questions—about Howarts, their everyday lives, their adventures. Hermione interjected at points, but for the most part she let the others answer the questions. She'd wanted Genvi to meet her friends for a while now, but it never seemed to be the right time—either Genvi was out of the country or Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys were in hiding or on the run.

It wasn't until the five of them settled in the living room that Hermione let her thoughts wander back to what Ron had been about to say. She tried to catch his eye in between conversations, but was unsuccessful. As always, Genvi held everyone's attention. This fact didn't usually bother Hermione, but at this present moment it was inconvenient.

When it became clear that Genvi had no intention of leaving, Hermione excused herself to do some reading, leaving her four friends to get to know each other better out in the living room. She rifled through her bag until she found the book she was looking for and settled on her bed to read.

"'Interpreting Dreams'?"

Hermione looked up. Ginny stood in the doorway, her arms crossed.

"Why aren't you with the others, Gin?"

"I just came to invite you to come back out and play a game with us. What sort of dreams are you having?"

"Nothing." Hermione put on her best smile. "And I think I'll pass on a game for now. Most games are only four-player anyway. Maybe later."

Ginny shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The red-head closed the door on her way out. Hermione returned her attention to the book in her hand. There had to be _something _in here that would give her even the smallest clue to the meaning of her dream. There had to be more to it than what the snake said, because that couldn't be true.

She just had no idea what it was.

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><p><strong>AN: **So this chapter's longer than the others, but i think I want the chapters to lean towards more this length anyway (although, in the future, they'll definitely be less rambly...) Please review! :)


	4. Making Plans

**Disclaimer: **Potterverse is a strange word, don't you think? Well, regardless, it doesn't belong to me.

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Making Plans<strong>

"You did not!"

Genvi smirked. "I did."

Ron leaned across the table. "You _crashed _a Lamborghini?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"A bad—" Ron buried his face in his hands. "That should be a crime."

"I had good reason." Genvi folded her arms.

"What could _possibly _be good enough reason to—?"

"My father had my boyfriend arrested, so I took his favorite car for a ride."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "It was your father's car?"

Genvi's smile widened. "At least I didn't fly it into a tree."

She chuckled as Ron's jaw dropped. "I can't believe Hermione told you about that!"

"Of course she did! Books tells me everything."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "Everything?"

"That's right."

"So what has she told you about me?"

The blonde twirled a strand of hair around her finger and looked away. "Oh, enough."

"Enough to convince her to stay away from you," Hermione piped up, setting a bowl of popcorn between the two of them on the table. "Being friends with you has caused me nothing but trouble over the years."

"You must be talking about Harry, not me."

"No gossiping about my boyfriend when he's not here to defend himself." Ginny walked into the kitchen, hands on hips. "Now, are we going to watch this movie, or what?"

Hermione picked the bowl of popcorn back up and followed Ginny into the living room where Harry was waiting. Ron and Genvi stood and followed them.

"I have to say, Ron, I'm impressed you knew what a Lamborghini was."

"I have enough muggle-born friends at Hogwarts to know about cars." He stared into the distance as he and Genvi both took their places on the couch. "Harry, can you imagine if that Ford Angela had been a Lamborghini? Merlin, we would have soared through the sky."

"Right up until we crashed." Harry smirked.

Genvi laughed. Ron hid a smile as the movie started, trying not to let her catch a glimpse of him looking in her direction. In some ways, Genvi was a lot like Hermione, but her carefree spirit was refreshing. It was nice to spend time with someone who wasn't constantly reminding you about your responsibilities, someone who wasn't worried all the time. Granted, all of them had good reason to worry, but it was nice to relax.

Sitting on the other side of the couch, Hermione was struggling with the exact opposite thoughts. About twenty minutes into the movie, she leaned toward Harry.

"We need to talk," she whispered.

"What?"

"You, me, and Ron. We need to discuss…our plans. The sooner the better."

Harry's smile faltered. "Hermione—I'm not so sure the two of you should—"

He caught her eye and stopped mid-sentence. After holding her gaze for a minute, he sighed.

"Fine. I knew there was no use in trying to talk you out of it anyway."

"Sh!" Ginny reprimanded. "Whatever the two of you are talking about, save it for later, please!"

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance before returning their attention to the television. For the remainder of the movie, no one spoke. When it ended, Hermione couldn't have repeated any of the plot—her mind was elsewhere.

"Well, you should probably head home, Genvi," Hermione said with a smile. "It's getting late, and you know how your dad gets."

"I'll walk you home," Ron offered as he stood.

Genvi beamed at him. "Why thank you, Ron." She crossed the room and pulled Hermione into a hug. "See you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Genvi hugged both Harry and Ginny as well before Ron escorted her out the front door. Ginny promptly declared that she was tired and kissed Harry goodnight. Hermione's parents had gone to sleep during the movie, so when Ron got back the three of them would be the only people awake in the house.

Hermione busied herself with doing the dishes. Harry joined her in the kitchen and sat down at the table to wait. It was a good half hour before Ron came back through the front door. When he came into the room, Hermione put her hands on her hips.

"What took so long?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I had a curfew, Mum."

Hermione sighed. "I just started getting worried is all. Genvi's all right?"

"Yeah, we were just talking."

"About what?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Things."

"Well, we have things to talk about too," Harry interjected.

Ron's face fell as he sat. "Right. Time to get back to work."

"We need time to gather a few supplies," Hermione said, joining them at the table, "but I think we should leave as soon as possible."

"And where are we going, Hermione?" Ron asked. "I know we can't stay here, but do you have a plan?"

"I was thinking Grimmauld Place." Hermione glanced at Harry. "It is yours now."

"Yes, but the Order knows about it. And so does Snape."

"So we put more protection spells on it."

Ron shook his head. "No good. If they know it's there, they'll get in."

"So what's your suggestion, Ronald?"

He leaned back in his chair. "I think we need to find somewhere completely remote, where no one would come looking for us."

"Ron may be on to something, Hermione," Harry said.

"Well, I do have a tent already packed up," Hermione admitted. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to use it much, but I think you're right. It'll make it easier to move anyway."

Ron smirked. "So you're admitting my idea was better than yours?"

"Not better! Just—more practical."

Ron's smirk didn't fade as Harry continued. "So, that being said—where do we want to camp?"

All three of them were silent for a moment. Hermione reached over and retrieved her bag from the table. She rummaged through it and withdrew a journal.

"Here's where we stand with the horcruxes. Harry, you destroyed the diary our second year. Dumbledore destroyed the ring last year."

"Voldemort's one of the seven, so we can count him out," Ron added.

Harry nodded. "Right, so that leaves four."

Ron read Hermione's notes over her shoulder. "The locket, something from Hufflepuff, something from Ravenclaw, and the snake."

"Nagini. We'll have to take care of her last—Voldemort never lets her out of his sight."

Hermione flipped a page. "I've been doing some research on the founders' items. It appears that Rowena Ravenclaw had diadem that was said to hold infinite knowledge."

"What's a diadem?" Ron asked.

"A sort of tiara."

"Sounds like something Voldemort would like to get his hands on," Harry mused. "Any idea where it is?"

"That's just it—it's lost. It was lost centuries ago, and no one's seen it since."

"Great," Ron muttered.

Harry tried to hide his disappointment. "And what about Hufflepuff?"

"She had a golden cup. That's all I was able to find out."

"What about R.A.B.?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed. "No idea. I've gone through everything I can think of looking for someone with those initials, and no luck. I even started looking to see if it was a code for something, but I'm pretty sure it's someone's initials."

"So we have absolutely no idea where to start?" Ron said with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, there has to be a clue somewhere in all the information we have," Harry said, trying to sound hopeful. "What about the prophecy?"

"Which one?" Hermione asked.

Ron sent each of them a confused glance. "There's more than one?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't really know. I had another one of those dreams last night. Someone was telling Voldemort a prophecy, but I didn't really catch more than that."

"What sort of prophecy?"

"Like I said, I didn't catch much. It had something to do with a way he could gain more power."

Ron scoffed. "Great."

"Maybe we should just gather supplies, leave, and then discuss where to go," Hermione suggested. "We could set up camp somewhere in the woods, and discuss there the next step to take."

"Okay, so how much time do you need to gather supplies?"

Hermione thought for a minute. "It depends on what diagon alley's like these days. A week or two maybe."

"So for a week we can forget about this?" said Ron.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Not forget. Relax a little bit, maybe—"

"Fantastic!" Ron said as he jumped up from the table.

"Now Ron, we have to be careful. They're still looking for Harry. We have to be on guard. It's not like we can throw caution to the wind—"

"Of course not," Ron said quickly, "but I can't remember the last time I just let myself enjoy life. So until you tell me it's time to leave, I'm going to try, if that's all right with you."

Hermione sent him a half-smile. "Sure, I understand."

"Good." He smiled at her. "You should try too, you know. Enjoy yourself every once and a while."

"I'll try."

"Promise?"

"Yes. But Ron, don't—"

He cut her off with a hug. "I'm headed to bed. Harry, wanna show me where it is?"

"Sure."

Hermione watched the two boys leave, sighing. _That conversation accomplished absolutely nothing._ Until she had all of her supplies, nothing was going to be set in motion. They were all going to just stay here, playing that there wasn't a war on.

First thing in the morning, she'd head to diagon alley and make some orders. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before they were done.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So I realize that the majority of this chapter was review of things you guys already knew, but I am trying to write it well, and I felt like I needed to cover things (and put in place the foundation for the deviations I'm going to make from the books). Please review!


	5. Danger

**Chapter Five: Danger**

Hermione didn't make it to diagon alley the next day. Her parents were up at the crack of dawn, insisting that she and her friends join them at the beach. Try as she might to persuade them out of the idea, it was impossible. She spent so little time with her parents already, and everyone else was excited to go.

Ginny went into Hermione's room to change and Ron headed down the street to invite Genvi. Hermione stopped Harry before he could close his door.

"Do you realize how risky this is?" she whispered.

"What, me being out in the open?"

"Yes! Any of us being out in the open. Someone could see us there, and even if we managed to hold them off they could follow us back here—"

"Hermione, it'll be all right." He put a hand on her shoulder and sent her a smile. "Remember what Ron said about enjoying yourself?"

"We could be killed!"

"We'll be fine."

He closed the door behind him. Hermione sighed in exasperation and leaned against the wall. Was she the only sensible person here?

Whether she liked it or not, everyone was going. Genvi came back to the house with Ron, all smiles. Hermione tried to smile, tried to act like she was excited for the trip, but wasn't very successful.

Everyone piled into her parents' van. The drive to the beach wasn't long, but it seemed like an eternity to her. Harry and Ginny headed for the water immediately. Genvi laid out a towel to sunbathe. Ron sat next to her, chatting. Mr. and Mrs. Granger set up an umbrella and a couple chairs.

"Why don't you join your friends in the water, Dear?" Mrs. Granger asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not really feeling up to it."

"Well, at least take off your jacket. Aren't you hot?"

"I'm fine."

Her mother hesitated before sitting down and opening a book. After a few minutes, Hermione sat next to Genvi and Ron on the sand. Genvi sent her a bright smile.

"Glad you decided to join us!"

Ron sent her a strange look. "What's with the jacket?"

Hermione shrugged. "I'm allowed to wear a jacket, aren't I?"

"It's a bit hot, isn't it?"

"I'm fine."

"Here." Ron leaned across Genvi and tried to pull Hermione's jacket off her shoulders. She pushed him away quickly. As she did so, the tip of her wand slipped out of her sleeve.

"Merlin, Ron! What's your problem?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "You're keeping it on so you can keep your wand hidden?"

"Yes, okay? My shorts' pockets aren't deep enough for it."

"Why don't you just put it in the bag like me, Harry, and Gin?"

"Because unlike you, I realize how dangerous this is!" she snapped. "What if someone sees us—a Death Eater, perhaps? Voldemort could be here in minutes. I'm not about to let go of my wand."

Ron frowned at her. "You're being paranoid."

Hermione scoffed and stood. "Fine. I'm overreacting to the fact that the most powerful wizard in the world wants us dead."

"That's not what I meant. Just the chances of them being here on this beach—"

"It's a popular beach, Ron."

"Even more reason why they wouldn't be looking for us here!"

Hermione just shook her head and walked away. Ron laid down with a sigh and sent Genvi a forced smile.

"Sorry about that."

"It's all right." Genvi watched Hermione go. "You guys really are in the middle of a war, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather not talk about that."

"Maybe Books is right." Genvi shifted so she could see Ron better. "Maybe we shouldn't have come."

Ron shook his head. "The chances that one of our enemies will see us are small. I understand 'Mione's concern, but she could relax a bit. We need all the relaxation and fun we can get."

"Still, it's risky."

"Well, we're here now, and we might as well make the best of it." Ron stood and held out a hand to Genvi. "Wanna join Harry and Gin in the water?"

Genvi smiled at him and took his hand. "Sure."

* * *

><p>The drive back to the house seemed even longer than the drive to the beach. Hermione's senses were on alert, watching everything around them, making sure they weren't being followed. She didn't relax until they were once again inside the house and the door was locked.<p>

Harry clapped a hand on her shoulder. "See, I told you everything would be fine."

Hermione sent him a small smile. "Okay, you were right—this time. We're not doing anything like that again."

"Whatever you say," Harry said with a chuckle.

Everyone went to their respective rooms to change. Ginny and Genvi both decided to take showers, since they got in the water. The boys didn't care as much and were in the kitchen when Hermione emerged from her room, carrying her purse. She walked up to them.

"Ron, did you happen to bring floo powder with you?"

"You're going to diagon alley now?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

Ron thought for a minute. "I think so. Be right back."

After a few minutes, he came out of his and Harry's room with a small bag of powder. "It's not much, but it should be enough to get all three of us there. We can buy more to get back."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm going alone."

"No, you're not," Harry insisted. "It's too dangerous."

"Oh, and going to the beach this morning wasn't?"

"That was a muggle beach. This is diagon alley. I guarantee you there will be Death Eaters there."

"Even more reason for you not to go, Harry. If you go, we'll definitely be attacked, but I can manage to slip by unnoticed."

"Well, at least let me go," Ron said.

"No. I'll be faster on my own."

He raised his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, just that I know what I'm looking for and you don't."

Harry frowned. "Hermione, let one of us go with you."

"No way. Even if something does happen to me, at least the two of you will be safe."

"Then I should go!" Ron said, standing. "I'm the least valuable of the three of us."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, Ron."

"I'm not. Let me go. Tell me what to get, and—"

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll take the invisibility cloak," Hermione said, folding her arms. "But I know exactly what I need, and you don't. I'll be there and back within two hours."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. They knew arguing would get them nowhere.

"If you're not back by then, we're coming to look for you," said Harry.

Hermione nodded and took the powder from Ron. Harry retrieved his invisibility cloak from his room, and she put it in her purse just in case. Without another word to either of them, she stepped into the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley!" she said, and disappeared in a wisp of green flames.

* * *

><p>"Is that everything, Miss?"<p>

Hermione nodded. The shopkeeper gathered her things and put them in a small bag.

"And the order?"

"Give me two weeks."

Hermione's face fell. "I need it as soon as possible."

"Like I said—two weeks."

"All right," she sighed as she took the bag. "I'll see you in a couple weeks then."

Hermione took out her list as she stepped out of the shop. There was just one more stop to make. She looked at her watch as she walked towards it. She'd been gone an hour and a half. Maybe she should wait and pick up these last few things when she came to get the first of her orders next week. She didn't want Harry and Ron coming after her and putting themselves in danger.

Deciding to head home and get the rest of the things later, Hermione turned around, and ran right into someone. Her bag fell on the ground and she scrambled to gather her things.

"I'm sorry!" she said quickly. "I should pay more attention to where I'm going."

"Don't be sorry, Miss Granger. You're just who I was looking for."

The man's familiar voice sent a wave of panic through Hermione's body. She grabbed her purse and ran, leaving everything else behind. Lucius Malfoy followed on her heels. When he grabbed her jacket, she let him pull it off and kept running.

"_STUPEFY!_" she yelled, pointing her wand behind her shoulder.

Someone fell. She turned around quickly. Malfoy was on the ground, but four more men were headed her way. She spun around again, only to see three others coming from the opposite direction. People in the streets scattered as the men pulled out their wands, each of them pointing at her.

She stuck her hand inside her purse and felt the silky material on top. As the first curses were cast, Hermione ducked to the ground and pulled the cloak out, covering herself. She ran to the nearest shop and backed up against the wall, holding perfectly still. The men continued to send spells at the spot where she had been, until Lucius Malfoy caught up to them, looking disheveled.

"She's obviously gone, you idiots!" he said, kicking the air where she'd been. "But she couldn't have got far. What are you all standing about for?"

The men spread out, some going down side streets, some going into shops. Hermione held her breath and hoped her heart wasn't beating too loudly. Everyone else on the street cowered in front of the men, praying they wouldn't be noticed.

Slowly, Hermione slinked toward the nearest fireplace, wincing every time her footsteps made the slightest sound. One of the men was searching the shop, but he was on the other end. She reached inside her bottomless purse to find the floo powder. As she searched for it, her shoulder hit a stack of books behind her, and they fell.

Hermione froze. So did the man. His eyes landed on the books and he grinned.

"Gotcha."

He pointed his wand toward her. Hermione jumped into the fireplace, her hands finally snatching the powder. His first curse barely missed her. She threw down the powder. Seeing the green flames, the man ran towards the fireplace now, lunging for her.

She said her address as quickly and quietly as she could. Just before the man could reach her, the flames engulfed her, and she was in the floo network. When she saw her living room, she let out a sigh of relief and stepped out of the fireplace.

Almost as soon as she had, she froze again.

On the other end of the room, Ron and Genvi were on the couch, snogging.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **As always, I love reviews! Thanks for reading :)


	6. Heartache

**Chapter Six: Heartache**

She stared. Neither Ron nor Genvi had noticed the flames in the fireplace, and she was still wearing the invisibility cloak. As far as they were concerned, they were the only people in the room. Ron pulled Genvi closer to him and ran his fingers through her hair.

Hermione's heart stopped. She struggled to breathe.

"Ron!"

Genvi and Ron jumped apart as Harry entered the room. Hermione quickly looked away from them.

"What?" Ron said, sounding annoyed.

"I really think we should go look for Hermione. It's almost been two hours."

"I'm right here," Hermione said quietly before Ron could respond. She took off the invisibility cloak. Out of the corner of her eye she saw both Ron and Genvi's faces turn bright red. Hermione was sure hers was red too.

Harry pretended not to notice. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Just a couple Death Eaters, nothing I couldn't handle." She numbly handed him the invisibility cloak before heading past him.

"Where are you going?"

"To take a nap."

She practically ran to her room and slammed the door. Ginny looked up from the book she was reading and frowned.

"What's wrong, Herm?"

"Nothing," Hermione said quietly. "But—do you think I could have a little privacy?"

Ginny's frown deepened. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, I'd just like to be alone for a bit."

The red head considered her for a bit before speaking. "All right, but you'll let me know if you need anything?"

Hermione nodded. Satisfied, Ginny closed her book and left the room. When Hermione heard the door shut, she collapsed onto her bed and buried her face in her hands.

She didn't know how long she lay there, holding back tears. The last thing she wanted to do was make a scene and even though she was alone in her room, her sobs would definitely be heard throughout the house if she started crying. So she held them in, tried to get a hold of herself.

Eventually there was a knock on her door. Hermione sat up on her bed, but didn't answer it. Whoever it was knocked again.

"Books? It's Genvi. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Hermione said, just loud enough for her to hear.

Genvi cautiously came in, closing the door behind her. "Look, I can explain—"

"There's no need."

"Yes, there is." Genvi sat next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry. It just sort of—happened. I know you like him—"

"I don't."

Genvi blinked. "What?"

"He's a downright git, and I got over him years ago." Hermione forced a laugh. "If you want that, be my guest."

"Hermione, I didn't mean—"

"I mean it." Hermione turned to her friend, putting on her best smile. "If you like Ron, I say go for it. Heaven knows you deserve someone like him, especially after your last four boyfriends."

"I thought you said he was a downright git."

"He is, but a good one." Hermione laughed, a little more sincerely this time. "He's a good person, a great person in fact, he's just—not for me."

Genvi frowned. "I'm not sure I believe you. You looked pretty upset out there."

"Believe me." Hermione took Genvi's hands, keeping her own as steady as possible. "And I was only shocked, not upset. You deserve to be happy, and if you think Ron can make you happy, I _want _you to go for it."

Her friend was quiet for a minute. "All right—but only if you're sure."

"I'm positive."

Genvi smiled. "Well, that's a relief. I really do like him, Hermione. A lot."

Hermione felt something pull at her heart, but smiled anyway. "Then go get him."

Genvi laughed and kissed Hermione's cheek before bouncing out of the room. The minute the door closed, Hermione's smile was gone. She took a deep breath and laid on her bed, a few silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

The door opened again. Before Hermione had time to react, Ginny was sitting on the end of her bed.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Tell Genvi to go for it."

Hermione shrugged as she sat up, trying to hide her tears. "She deserves to be happy. They both do."

"But why'd you tell her you didn't like Ron?"

"Because I don't."

"Oh, come off it! That's the biggest lie I've ever heard."

"It's not a lie."

"It is a lie! You're in love with him! You've been in love with him for years!"

"No, I haven't. I thought I liked him once, but that was a long time ago."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Fine. Have it your way. But I know better. You're not a very good liar, Herm."

"Good thing I'm not lying then."

Ginny shook her head as she stood. "I don't know why you won't just talk to me, at least tell _me_ the truth."

When it became clear that Hermione wasn't going to say anything else, Ginny left, leaving Hermione alone again. She gathered a hold of herself before deciding to jump in the shower.

When she got out, she joined everyone else in the kitchen for dinner. Genvi was cooking something on the stove. Harry, Ron, and Ginny all sat at the table. Hermione's parents weren't around—they'd said earlier that they planned on going out to dinner that night.

Hermione took a seat at the table. Ron sent her an awkward smile.

"Hey. You all right?"

"I'm just fine. Just really needed to take a shower."

Harry leaned forward. "You said you saw Death Eaters?"

She nodded. "I bumped into Lucius Malfoy in the street. There were seven others with him."

"How'd you get away?"

"The cloak."

Harry sighed and leaned back. "Well, I hope you got everything you need."

"I dropped most of it while I was running. And I have a couple orders for potions coming in."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "You're not seriously thinking about going back there, are you?"

"I have to."

"What are the potions even for?" Ginny asked.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look. "They're for a paper I'm working on," Hermione said quickly.

"Couldn't you make them yourself?"

"I don't have the right materials, and it's cheaper to get the potion made then to buy all the ingredients. Besides, I doubt my parents would appreciate me brewing potions in the kitchen."

Ron shook his head. "You're not going back there. Not alone, anyway."

"I'll wear the cloak the entire time next time. I won't even take it off to pay—I'll just take what I need and leave money on the counter."

"It's too dangerous," Harry said urgently.

"I have to agree with them, Books," Genvi said as she set a pot of soup on the table. "I don't think you should go back."

"Well, what all of you think doesn't matter, because I'm going back for those potions whether you like it or not," Hermione snapped.

Everyone stared at her. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess being chased by Lucius Malfoy and his goons didn't exactly put me in a good mood."

"We just want you to be safe," Ginny said, putting her hand on Hermione's.

"I will be. I'll be much more careful next time."

They let the subject drop as Genvi dished out the soup. When she was finished, she took the open seat between Hermione and Ron. Hermione saw Ron put a hand on her knee under the table.

Hermione tried to participate in the conversation her friends were having, but couldn't completely focus. Try as she might, she couldn't ignore the growing pain in her heart.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Quick update, because I'd actually initially included this in the last chapter, then decided it was too long. So here you go! I'm on a roll today-who knows, I may even post more! :P


	7. Betrayal

**Chapter Seven: Betrayal**

The next week passed by quickly. Everyone but Hermione seemed to be able to pretend life was normal. She tried to talk to Harry and Ron about their plans a couple times, but it was almost impossible—Ginny was monopolizing all of Harry's time, and Ron wouldn't go anywhere without Genvi. As always, Hermione spent all of her time with her books, searching for clues.

The night before she planned on returning to diagon alley, she found herself the only one awake in the house. She was reading all her past notes about horcruxes and scribbling out new ones when Ron walked in the front door. She glanced up at him.

"You're back late."

Ron shrugged and sat next to her on the couch. "Genvi's parents invited me to stay for dinner."

Hermione bit her tongue and tried to focus on her notebook again. Ron looked over her shoulder.

"What are you working on?"

She sighed and looked up at him. "I'm trying to figure out where we should look first. I've been thinking—"

She cut herself off and took a better look at Ron.

"Where did you get that shirt?"

Ron looked down at it and laughed. "Oh, Genvi and I may have run around in the sprinklers."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me there were children involved."

"Well, you're always calling me a child, so yeah." Ron laughed again. "Anyway, my clothes were drenched and a little muddy so I took a shower and Mr. Allen let me borrow a shirt."

"Where's your shirt?"

"Genvi's mum's being nice enough to wash it. I'll pick it up when I go over there tomorrow."

"Why did you take a shower at her place? You could have just come back here."

He shrugged and a small grin appeared on his face. "Like I said, I was invited for dinner. And I didn't want to leave yet."

Hermione took a deep breath and opened her notebook again. They sat in silence for a while, Ron watching as Hermione scribbled out her thoughts.

After a number of minutes, he cleared his throat. "Hermione, are you—okay—with what's happening with me and Genvi?"

Hermione pretended to be absorbed in her notes. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it might be weird for you, you know, me and her being together."

"Not at all."

Ron hesitated. "And I sorta thought you might be a little—jealous."

"Oh, because you can't imagine a woman _not _being attracted to you?"

"Hermione, I'm serious. I just don't want anything to be weird between us." He closed her book and shifted his position so they could see each other better. "I know we've had—moments—in the past—"

"'Past' is the key word there," she said, ignoring the catch in her throat. "You're a great guy, Ron—my best friend—but that's it, and has been for a long time."

She tried to read the expression on his face, but was unsuccessful. "Good then. Glad we got that cleared up."

"Me too."

Hermione opened her book again and buried herself in it. After a minute, Ron left the room and headed for bed. As soon as he was gone, Hermione let out a soft groan, shut her book, and curled up on the couch.

* * *

><p>The door to the storage room in the alchemy shop was wide open. Hermione slipped by the shop owner easily under the invisibility cloak. She shifted through the finished orders as quietly as possible until she found hers. She'd already paid the last week, so she just tucked it into her bag. As she did so, she pulled out her shopping list to see if there was anything else she needed to grab from this store.<p>

Suddenly, something grabbed her arm. The invisible source pulled her to the back of the storage room. The invisibility cloak fell off and she struggled to draw her wand. Just as she did, Ron appeared in front of her. He smirked.

"Hey, 'Mione."

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "We agreed it was best for me to come alone!"

"Yeah, I know, but I need to talk to you."

Hermione gaped at him. "About what?"

"Not here—meet you in room 16 of the Leaky Cauldron in ten minutes."

She stared as he recast the disillusionment charm on himself. Baffled, she threw the invisibility cloak on just as the owner came back to see what the commotion was.

The Leaky Cauldron was on the opposite side of the alley. Hermione hurried through the crowd, still under the cloak, trying not to draw attention to herself. When she reached it, she headed straight to room 16. The door was wide open, so she walked in. Ron stood next to the window, staring out it.

She closed the door. The sound caused Ron to jump. He turned just as she took off the invisibility cloak and stuffed it into her bag.

"Are you _crazy_?" she said, keeping her voice as low as possible. "What if someone had seen you?"

"I used a disillusionment charm!"

Hermione looked at him quizzically for a moment. "Have you been practicing? You didn't used to be that good at it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, usually I can spot you a mile away. Your spell is patchy. I didn't see you at all this time."

Ron shrugged and sent her his signature smirk. "I guess I just finally started listening to the advice you gave me."

Hermione rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "What do you need to talk to me about, Ron? Why couldn't you wait till I got back?"

His expression suddenly grew serious. "Because, I wanted to talk to you alone."

"Why?"

Ron hesitated for a moment before crossing the room in two large strides. Without warning, he took her face in his hands and kissed her full on the mouth. When he pulled back, she stared at him, dumbfounded.

"I love you, Hermione," he blurted out.

Before she knew it, he was kissing her again. Hermione's heart raced. She sank into the kiss, into him, forgetting where she was or even who she was for a moment. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Her stomach flipped upside down.

He pulled back for a moment, and she tried to break out of his embrace, cheeks flushed.

"Ron, this isn't right. You're dating Genvi—"

"Don't speak," he ordered, kissing her with more force this time. They stumbled to the bed, and Hermione fell backwards onto it. Ron removed his shirt and tossed it to the ground before lying on top of her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, breathless.

Ron ignored her question and brought his lips to her neck. She brought her right hand up to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist. He grabbed her left wrist with his other hand and forced her arms above her head. She tried to kick him, but he knelt on top of her, pinning her down.

Transferring one wrist to the other hand, now holding both arms above her with just his left arm, he let his right hand travel slowly down her body, feeling every curve. Her breathing quickened. She gasped as he paused for a moment on her breast before moving further down her body.

"Ron, stop!" she pleaded, wriggling underneath him, but unable to move. His hand moved down her thigh until it reached the bottom of her skirt. Suddenly, his hand was moving up her leg, under her clothes, caressing smoothly.

* * *

><p>Hermione lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Her clothes were in shambles. Ron was gone—he'd left almost immediately. Hermione was paralyzed, almost unable to breathe. Slowly, she sat up.<p>

_What just happened?_

In a daze, she picked up her purse and pulled the invisibility cloak out of it. Her hands shook as she threw it over herself. She looked down at her list, only vaguely comprehending what was left on it.

_Focus, Hermione._

But she couldn't. She couldn't focus on anything. She was still trying to wrap her mind around what had happened, what Ron had done—

The door burst open and the caretaker, Tom, entered the room. "All right, kids, I'm giving you five minutes to get out or—"

He looked around the room, puzzled. Hermione's cheeks turned a bright red under the cloak.

Someone followed him into the room. "Where'd they go?"

"No idea. Troublemakers. Whenever I have a vacant room, they always find a way in. Don't they have their own beds?" Tom shook his head. "Send for housekeeping. Someone's checking in in a couple hours."

The two men left, shutting the door behind them. Trembling, Hermione sank onto the nearest chair, holding back tears. No matter how hard she'd fought, Ron had persisted. In the end, she'd given in, hardly able to control herself, let him take her—

She wasn't sure how long she sat there. When housekeeping came, she snuck out the door and headed down the stairs. There were too many people in the lobby for her to use the fireplace, so she walked out onto the streets of London and apparated.

The walk from the end of the street to her house seemed to take ages. When she reached her front door, she heard laughter inside. She took the cloak off before opening the door.

Ron and Genvi were cuddling on the couch. He was tickling her. Upon seeing Hermione, he stopped, but didn't move away from Genvi.

He smiled at her. "Glad to see you back in one piece. Any surprises this time?"

Hermione just stared at him. Ron's smile faded slightly.

"Everything all right, Books?" Genvi asked, frowning.

Hermione couldn't speak. She stared between the two of them for a few moments before nodding weakly. Slowly, she walked past the couple and into her room. She closed the door and collapsed on her bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Not what you expected, was it? And if you're worried about the direction of the fic, let me assure you that this type of content is not a regular occurrence, I promise. Please review, and I'll update soon!


	8. Confusion

**Chapter Eight: Confusion**

Hermione's hand shook as she raised it. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. A middle-aged man with a graying-brown beard answered.

"Why if it isn't Hermione Granger! How long has it been?"

She forced a smile. "Too long, Mr. Allen. Is Genvi home?"

"I think so. Come on in!"

Genvi poked her head around the corner as Hermione stepped inside. "Hey Books! What's up?"

"Not much."

Hermione fumbled with her hands. Genvi furrowed her eyebrows. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, it's just—do you think we could talk?"

"Sure."

Hermione followed her to her room. The witch sat on her friend's bed and stared at the ground. She didn't look up when Genvi closed the door and sat next to her.

"What's going on? You've been really quiet for the past two days."

"I've just had a lot to think about."

"That's right. You're leaving soon."

Hermione glanced up at Genvi, eyes wide. Genvi bit her lip.

"I forgot—I'm not supposed to know."

"Ron _told _you?"

Genvi's lips curved into an embarrassed smile. "His tongue gets pretty loose sometimes."

Hermione felt something catch in her throat, but ignored it. "How much do you know?"

"Just that he, you, and Harry are leaving soon to find something to help you defeat Voldemort. He thought you were going to leave right after you got back from Diagon Alley. I'm sort of surprised you're still here."

"We decided to wait until after Harry's birthd—" She shook her head. "I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Well, what did you come here to tell me?"

Hermione hesitated before looking back at the floor. Genvi put a hand on her shoulder and waited for her friend to speak. After a long minute, Hermione took a deep breath.

"Two days ago—when I came home from Diagon Alley—had you been over long?"

Genvi frowned. "Why?"

"Just answer me, please."

The blonde raised her eyebrows at Hermione's tone. "No, Ron had just picked me up."

Hermione was quiet for a minute. "He'd spent the morning with Harry and Gin then?"

"I don't think so. He said he'd been sleeping all day. Harry and Ginny didn't seem to notice—they were watching a movie."

"So no one really knows where he was," Hermione breathed.

"What is this about, Books?" Genvi placed both hands on Hermione's shoulders and forced her friend to face her. "You've been jumpy ever since you came back from shopping, especially around Ron. Did something happen?"

"I'm just—trying to figure out exactly where he was."

"So why don't you ask him yourself?"

Hermione met Genvi's gaze, at a loss for words. Genvi waited for her friend to say something, but to no avail. After a number of minutes, she released Hermione's shoulders with a sigh.

"I just want to help, Hermione. Something's obviously bugging you, and I wish you would tell me what it is."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but closed it almost immediately. She knew she should tell Genvi what was on her mind, knew she should tell her what happened in the Leaky Cauldron, but she couldn't. If she told Genvi the truth, it would break her heart, not to mention ruin their friendship.

But their friendship was ruined anyway. It didn't matter how hard she'd fought in the beginning, Hermione couldn't deny that in the end she'd given in to him. He'd forced her, yes, but she'd let him. Her mind had shut down and her body had taken over.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she hid them well. "I lied to you."

"When?"

"When I said I didn't have feelings for Ron anymore."

"I know. You're a horrible liar, Books."

Genvi chuckled. Hermione couldn't bring herself to join her. After a minute, Genvi stopped laughing and her expression grew serious.

"Is that what this is about? Are you uncomfortable with me dating him?"

"Yes, but it's not what you think."

Genvi raised an eyebrow. "You don't want him for yourself?"

"Not anymore."

"Okay, I'm lost. You're not making any sense."

Hermione tried to gather herself. "Something happened in Diagon Alley. Something that changed my opinion of him."

"You saw him there? What was he doing?"

She buried her face in her hands. She didn't want to believe it was Ron. She wanted to find some sort of explanation, some way to make sense of what had happened. The Ron she knew, her best friend, was not the Ron she'd met in the Leaky Cauldron. But who else could it have been?

"I don't know," she whispered. "I thought it was him, but—I just don't know."

Genvi leaned forward. "What did you see?"

Hermione shook her head and tried to stand. "I never should have started this conversation. I never should have come over to talk to you. I just wanted to be sure that he—that I wasn't—but I'm not. I'm not sure of anything. I don't know what happened, Genvi, but I can't—"

She broke into uncontrollable sobs and collapsed back onto the bed. Genvi pulled her into her arms and held her as she cried. This just caused Hermione to cry more—_she _should be the one comforting _Genvi_. This wasn't the first time she'd been betrayed by a boyfriend—

But how could _Ron_—?

"It's late," Hermione muttered when she'd pulled herself together. "I should be getting home."

Genvi took Hermione's hand as the witch stood. "Books, you can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?"

"I know," she said, avoiding eye contact. Before Genvi could stop her, she was out the door.

* * *

><p>Ron reached over Genvi's shoulder and scooped up some frosting with his index finger. Genvi slapped his hand and pushed the cake away from the edge of the table, hiding a smile.<p>

"What do you think you're doing, Ronald?"

"Just tasting it to make sure it's not poisoned."

Genvi folded her arms. "You think I'm going to poison Harry?"

He shrugged. "You never know who to trust these days."

"Including who to trust in the kitchen when you're making a birthday cake."

He just grinned and licked the frosting off his finger. Genvi rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh.

"Quiet, lovebirds. You'll wake him up!" Ginny said, poking her head into the room. "Ron, why don't you leave Genvi alone and help me and Herm set up decorations in the living room?"

Ron stole another taste of frosting before obeying his sister. The girls had already put up a number of streamers, but apparently it wasn't enough. Hermione stood on an old chair, straining to tape another one to the ceiling. The chair wobbled, and Ron hurried over.

"Let me give you a hand," he said as he put his hands on her waist to steady her.

The minute Ron touched her, Hermione dropped the streamer. She stumbled and fell backward. Ron caught her easily.

"Careful there, 'Mione! Don't hurt yourself!"

Hermione practically jumped out of his arms and to the other side of the room.

"I don't need your help," she said through clenched teeth.

She turned her back on him and continued to decorate. Ron stared at her, but didn't get a chance to say anything before Ginny came back into the room. He sighed and wandered back to the kitchen. Genvi looked up briefly as he entered.

"What, Ginny decide she didn't need your help?"

"No, Hermione sent me away."

"She's still acting strange?"

"For the past week and a half—ever since she came back from Diagon Alley a second time. Has she said anything to you about it?"

Genvi paused in her decorating and looked up at him. "Not much. Just that she thought she saw you when she was out."

"What, in Diagon Alley?"

She shrugged. "That's what she said. But she didn't sound sure."

"I just wish I knew what I did to make her mad at me. I mean, she's always mad at me, but she's been especially irritated lately."

"You haven't asked her?"

"No! Every time I try to, she leaves the room or changes the subject. She barely even speaks to me."

Genvi bit her lip. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it will work itself out."

"You don't sound very convincing."

She sent him a small smile before refocusing her attention on the cake. Ron sat down and watched her until she finished writing "Happy Birthday, Harry" on the top in curvy letters. Genvi stared at the cake, suddenly very quiet. Ron kissed the top of her head.

"Nice job."

She looked up at him, a sad look in her eyes. "You're leaving soon, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, it's Harry's birthday today. Hermione said the only thing you were waiting for now was for Harry to turn seventeen."

Ron kissed her head again. "Let's not worry about that right now, all right?"

Genvi sighed and stood. As she carried the cake into the living room, Ron looked at his watch.

"8:30. Harry should be out of bed any time now."

Almost as if on cue, they heard his bedroom door open down the hall. Hermione and Ginny finished hanging the "Happy Birthday" banner just as he walked into the room.

Harry's eyes lit up as the four of them burst into a chorus of "Happy Birthday." The atmosphere in the room was light as they all ate cake and Harry opened presents. Even Hermione managed a smile, which was a rare occurrence these days.

When they were through opening presents, Harry went back to his room to change and the rest of them cleaned up the mess.

"I'll do the dishes," Hermione offered and started picking them up.

Ron jumped to his feet. "I can help with that."

"Like I said, I don't need your help," she spat.

Genvi and Ginny exchanged a curious look as Hermione went into the kitchen. Ron glanced at them, a look of embarrassment on his face, before following her. Even though she heard him walk in after her, she didn't turn away from the sink. He stood there for a couple minutes, staring at her back. Finally, he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Hermione."

Hermione almost dropped her plate. She set it down in the sink and took a hold of the counter with both hands, steadying herself.

"You're _sorry_?" she croaked.

"Well, what else do you want me to say?"

She scoffed and whirled to face him. Her piercing stare forced him to take a step back.

"There's nothing you can say," she hissed.

Without another word, she threw her dishtowel in the sink with the still dirty dishes and stomped past him into the backyard. Ron watched her go, pain written all over his face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Next chapter will be updated soon, and it'll move the plot forward a little more, I promise. Review!


	9. Stowaway

**Chapter Nine: Stowaway**

Everything was pitch black. Hermione screamed as an invisible force pushed her onto her back. She struggled as the snake approached her, constricting her tighter than ever before.

"No! Please, not again!"

She gasped for air. Once again, she felt the serpent's tongue flick her ear. She braced herself for the horrible words, the threat of her friends' death—

"_I love you_."

Suddenly, the snake was gone. Ron leaned back, just enough so she could see his face. Tears clouded her vision. He kissed her neck. Hermione tried to pull away, but he had her pinned to the ground, just as tight as that snake.

"_Why_?" she croaked. "Why are you doing this? I don't understand—"

He kissed her lips, cutting off her words. The taste of her tears mingled with the kiss.

Hermione gasped as she woke with a start. He was standing by her bed, softly nudging her shoulder. She squirmed away, knocking over her lamp, and pulled her wand out from under her pillow. Ron raised both hands as she pointed it at him.

"Easy, Herm!" he breathed, trying to keep his voice down.

Her hand shook as she spoke. "What do you want?"

"It's—it's time to go."

After a moment, she lowered her wand, avoiding eye contact. "Get out."

"Herm—"

"I need to get dressed. I'll meet you outside."

Ron nodded slowly before exiting her room. Hermione took a deep breath and climbed out of bed. She dressed in less than a minute and picked up her enchanted purse. It was heavier than she thought it would be, but light when you considered everything that was in it. She took one last look around her room before joining Harry and Ron in the backyard.

"Want me to take your bag for you?" Ron offered as she approached. Hermione sent him a sideways look before turning her attention to Harry.

"Ready?"

Harry nodded, trying to act like he hadn't noticed the way she looked at Ron. "I assume you have our first camp sight picked out?"

"Yes. It'll be easier for me to just take all three of us then to try to explain it."

"Sounds good to me," Ron said with a half smile. Again, Hermione ignored him.

Harry took Hermione's hand. Ron hesitated before putting a cautious hand on her shoulder. It was all she could do to keep herself from shrugging it off.

She closed her eyes and envisioned their destination. Just as she apparated, she felt a third hand touch her back.

Her eyes opened wide as they 'popped' into a clearing in Bakewell. She spun around.

"What the—Ginny!"

The ginger grinned. "You didn't think you could leave me behind, did you?"

"What were you _thinking_? You could have been splinched! Sneaking up on me mid-apparate—"

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Gin?" Harry yelled.

She calmly looked him in the eye. "Standing by the man I love."

Harry groaned and pulled at the hair on his head. Ron cleared his throat.

"Honestly, Mate, she's just going to come back if we send her away. We might as well keep her here and make sure she doesn't get herself into any more trouble."

"He's right, you know." Ginny smugly folded her arms.

Harry glared at her before sighing. "Ron, Gin, set up the tent. Hermione, help me put up protection charms."

Ginny squealed and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, then took Hermione's bag and began searching for the tent inside. Harry immediately started whispering enchantments under his breath, circling the clearing. Hermione walked over to him.

"Are you sure about this? You always said you didn't want Ginny here."

"I always said I didn't want you or Ron here either, and look what happened." He shook his head. "Besides, Ron's right. Even if we tied her up somewhere, she'd find a way to follow us, or die trying."

"Well maybe Ron should take her somewhere and never come back," Hermione said under her breath.

Harry stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. "What's been going on between the two of you lately?"

"Nothing important," she mumbled.

"It is important, or you wouldn't be acting this way. You usually have a reason for getting mad at him—is it Genvi?"

"No, it's—it's nothing, all right? I'm always mad at him."

Harry eyed her curiously. "Really? Because, frankly, before Genvi got in the picture I thought the two of you might—"

"Never!" she blurted out, louder than she intended. Harry raised his eyebrows.

She stormed to the other side of the clearing, ignoring the stares she received from both Weasleys. She sighed internally as she pulled out her wand, holding back tears. Now that Ginny was here, she and Harry would be leaving Ron and Hermione alone often, that much was certain. The idea of being alone with him in a room again, in a _tent_—

Taking a deep breath, she pushed it all to the back of her mind and focused on the charms.

Once the camp was set up and secure, the four of them gathered around the fire. Ginny snuggled up close to Harry on one end, while Ron and Hermione sat on the other. Hermione kept as much distance between Ron and herself as possible and was relieved when he didn't attempt to move closer.

"All right, Hermione," Harry said once they were all settled. "What's our first move?"

Hermione pulled out one of her many notebooks from her bag. "We've been thinking about this the wrong way—we've been trying to figure out _what _the horcruxes are instead of _where _they are. If we can pinpoint their locations, it'll be easy enough to figure out what the horcrux is."

"Okay, so where would they be?" Ginny said.

"Well, Voldemort seems to have placed his horcruxes in places that have been important to him in his life. We know Nagini's always with him, so we just need to find locations for Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's diadem."

"And where R.A.B. hid the locket," Harry interrupted.

Hermione nodded. "I still have no idea who he is and where it might be, but I do have some ideas about Voldemort's hiding places. The only place he ever really felt at home was Hogwarts, right?"

"He did try to teach there," Ron mused out loud. Hermione didn't turn to look at him.

"One of the two is probably hidden somewhere in the castle," she continued, "possibly in the Room of Requirement."

"Getting into Hogwarts isn't going to be easy," Harry said with a small groan.

"Which is why I think we should go for that one last."

"So where else should we look first?" asked Ginny.

"The only other place I could come up with was the orphanage," Hermione said, shifting through her notes. "But unfortunately for us, it was demolished several years before Voldemort lost his power."

Ginny thought for a minute. "What about Godric's Hollow?"

Everyone turned to see Harry's reaction. He slowly shook his head. "He would have had to move it. I don't think there would have been any chance of him being able to get one in before he tried to kill me, and I don't think he would move something he already had protected to a place I would probably visit."

"But you haven't visited it, have you?" said Ron.

Harry shook his head again. "I haven't wanted to," he said quietly.

"It's possible he guessed you wouldn't want to," Hermione said tentatively. "He's been inside your mind, and he knows the way you think. He knows it would be—painful—for you to see where your parents died, and he might have picked it for that very reason."

"Maybe," he said doubtfully. "I guess it doesn't hurt to check."

There was a moment of silence before Ron spoke up. "There could be one at Gringotts. It is the most secure place in the magical world, after all."

"You really think that he would trust goblins with part of his soul?" Hermione snapped.

Ron shrugged innocently, ignoring her rudeness. "It was just a thought."

"We should check there too," Harry said.

"But breaking into Gringotts—"

"Is impossible, Hermione, yeah, I know. But most people would say that surviving the killing curse is, too."

"Well, we won't rule it out, but I still think Godric's Hollow is a better bet," she said, closing her notebook.

Ron stood. "So when should we head out?"

"We'll take a couple days to prepare, then try to get in unnoticed," Harry said, standing as well. "For now, I think we should all get some rest."

"I'll keep first watch," Hermione volunteered, staying put.

Harry and Ginny quickly disappeared into the tent. Ron lingered for a moment. Hermione turned her back to him and opened up a book.

He sighed. "Can we please just talk?"

"I'm not interested in what you have to say, Ronald."

"Hermione, I don't—!"

"Look," she snapped, cutting him off as she stood to face him. "The only reason I'm even still here is because of Harry, and because we're in the middle of a war. I'm not interested in talking to you—_ever_. When we're trying to figure things out, obviously we both have to be there, but unless all four of us are together, _stay away from me._"

Hermione couldn't quite read the expression on his face. After what seemed like an eternity of staring each other down, he nodded.

"All right. If that's what you want."

Slowly, he turned and entered the tent. Hermione sat back down, her anger dissipating into deep, deep sadness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I updated! Woohoo! :) I'm really feeling this story right now, so you can probably expect another update soon! Looking forward to your reviews!


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